Chili? Yes, Fireside!

Last night brought just enough snow and ice for the steep area of our backyard to become a perfect sledding hill.

(just practicing with the new lens Santa left for me and I had to show off this shot 🙂 …)

Without all the trees that were lost to the recent hurricanes and blizzards the sledding is easier–no steering or leaning or dragging booted feet, except at the very bottom. It’s still necessary to bail out at the last minute or risk a dunk in the semi-frozen stream, that is if you are lucky enough to find one of the holes in the deer fence that the deer made for themselves when they realized my plants would otherwise be forbidden to them. But, whether the sledders crash or sail carefree to a softly padded finish in the undergrowth, it’s still nice to come into a warm fire, especially when there is chili waiting for the chili!

My ingredients are simple and in no time at all

a pot of chili can be bubbling on my stove.

I use beans and meat and corn.

Without all three it’s just not chili in my house!

What’s in your chili?

After I put the pot on the stove,

I rounded up a few of my foxy friends

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pretty ribbon (from my stash!)

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bright napkins in warm colors

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and my red sled.

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Luckily this fireplace lights with the click of a button, so instead of chopping wood I gathered more pretty things

Well, I’m off track in my usual wandering way, so let’s get back to the table in the den.

Mugs with cute tails are easy to hold when we aren’t seated around a table, and there can never be too many napkins.

I wrapped the flatware in napkins, one for each sledder, to make it easier to hold with chili hands.

The chili is ready now, the table is set, and the fire is roaring.

Once the cold night temperatures come, our driveway becomes an ice hill, no matter how much we plow, sand and salt, so we may be iced in tomorrow. Luckily, after several years in this house, we know now to plan ahead with food and heating oil!

We definitely have enough chili, and if you would come by I would offer you this dish.

Love this post, and I think I also joined that new party. I hadn’t seen a follower in so long I was ready to give it up altogether. Just seemed like work for no reason. But I am hanging in til my 2nd anniversary and I have a giveaway planned for then. I do love lots of shredded cheese on my chili, less beans more meat! :/ xo

Hi Linda. I love the cozy warmth of your post. The fox statements are great and I got side tracked to Miss Nellie and the apple trees, which I hadn’t seen before. You know how I love dog stories especially when they are told by a dog..Beautiful photos too. Enjoy that chili. We don’t have the snow and ice YET but boy, is it cold..Happy Wednesday..Judy

Your chili looks YUMMY! Such a wonderful way to spend a cold & somewhat snowy evening…your dishes, ribbon, fire and all your foxy friends made for the perfect chili night!Love the dishes, thanks for the chance to win!Blessings,Cindy

What a cute post, Linda. I love the sled and the whole arrangement by the cozy fire. I put meat and beans in my chili and I do love cornbread with it, too. Hmmm, I’m thinking I need to fix some soon. The plates are adorable and in my favorite color. Thanks for the opportunity!!

Cute foxy chili table…I use lots of ancho chili powder, no corn, but will be trying it…looks delicious. How lucky for you to have an AC outlet in your area.I don’t dance around the house with the husband, though!

Yes, yes, and yes again on this terrific set up!!! It’s PERFECT for this cold, snowy weather! It makes me think of a fabulous lodge or bed & breakfast where they pamper the heck out of you. And corn in the chili….gonna try that for sure!!! I put corn in my tortilla soup, but have never had it in chili. Looks good! As for the dancing with my honey….uh…..he can dance, but I’m 2 left feet. I have to count out loud. I’m horrible at it. But your husband needs to let loose and drag you all around the floor a la Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly! 🙂

Oh how very cozy, Linda! The chili sounds delicious especially on a cold night like tonight, although we have no snow. I want mine with cheese and onions. John dances funny and is out of timing but we dance. We like to take ballroom dance lessons but can’t find anyone here who gives it. Beautiful giveaways!….Christine

Oh my goodness. This is just the greatest post I’ve seen in a long time, so creative. Your photography is out of this world.. I soooooo need a new camera. I’ll take my chili some cheese please. hugs ~lynne ~

The giveaway plates are wonderful. Thanks for the opportunity. I’m pretty sure that I’m a follower, but I’ll go check and make sure. When we were seniors in college, Sweet Mister and I had a blind date on September 19. He took me dancing at a club in ‘the city.’ There was a fantastic band who played an amazing version of “My Girl”. We requested it, probably 15 time during the evening. We danced all that night, and we’ve been dancing for 46 years now…44 of them married! I love the tablesetting. I’d arrive in my snow boots, but I’d take them off and sit in one of your chairs in my sock feet…close to the fire…sipping hot chocolate and eating your chili and cornbread. Thanks for inviting us for a peak. Cherry Kay

Chili by the fire and with such pretty mugs and napkins? Yes, please! I love the sled, especially. As for dancing with my sweetie, we grew up Baptist so didn’t learn how. We tried, really we did, to learn a few steps before our daughter’s wedding with the help of a video, but each practice session ended with us rolling around on the floor, helpless with laughter. Let’s just say we ain’t got rhythm. . . .

I love the idea of some chili by the fire. Love the sled. In another home we lived in we had a great sledding hill that also had a pond at the end. It was always frozen but you tried to avoid landing into it because there was a big bump before you landed. My husband loves to fast dance. At his sister’s wedding dance he split his pants!!!! I have never added corn to my chili, but it sounds good. I thought I was a follower, but I wasn’t and became one. I saw these recently at PB, they are such pretty plates. Thanks for the opportunity to win. Joni

Linda…Great post…right down to every detail…I add mushrooms and green pepper to my chili..no corn..But…I might try that…My boyfriend[husband] and I dance all the time…Mostly at our cottage, but also here at home on Friday nights!!! ** wink wink**:o)Enter me in your draw…they look lovely…You actually joined my blog a long time ago…but I don’t think you have been back for a while!!!

Hi Linda,Wonderful photos! Your chili looks good. I am making some next week. I always put beans and meat in mine too as well as mushrooms and green peppers. I LOVE cornmeal muffins; yum! Thank you so much for sharing this at my HOME and have a wonderful weekend.

Oh, I so love your foxy mugs. Do you mind sharing where you bought them? Our home has lots of hunt theme items. Your chili looks fabulous and has made me hungry for some. By the way, I don’t think that innocent looking pup could do anything wrong. Someone else must have been guilty. I have long been a follower.

Linda, this was such a fun post. I could just picture you setting this up in front of the fire. And what a cozy setting it is. Love the sled and that cute fox. You have the perfect serving pieces for this setting by the fire. I am also in love with Nellie. What a beauty. With those eyes looking at me, I’d have to give her a corn muffin. laurie

Linda, this is a great post from start to finish. Love the presentation and all your foxy details. 😉Wish I could say we dance, but in 37 years of marriage I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve danced. 😉Definitely a follower here. The red plates are charming.

I love your cozy dinner, everything looks so good!DH makes the chili, I pick out the beans, hate beans! 🙂We used to be dancing fools, but he had a stroke at 53, so that’s a thing of the past. I miss it a lot.Dance while you can.

What a great post!! Perfect for a Chilli Winter night!!And your chilli looks yummy but right now, I would have to refrain as I am having problems with my IBS.Love your sweet pup!!Thanks so much for your visit and kind words!!

LOVE your beautiful soft focus photo of your snowman with your new lens! It is definitely chili weather here, we’ve had inches or cold rain for a week now! I had my heart set on just a few inches of snow, but no such luck. I use a chili recipe of my mom’s that she discovered when they lived in Texas that has potatoes and beer in it! I need to make a pot of it this winter!

I would love to be included in your giveaway for your fun Valentine dishes! I haven’t made a trip to Crate & Barrel in a long time, it’s about an hour away 🙂

That picture of Miss Nellie Belle just cracked me up. She looks as though she wants to say: “Okay, I’ve posed for your photo, NOW can I have a muffin?” I’ve never added corn to my chili before but what a great idea! I will try it next time and see what my family thinks. It’s very hard to change recipes around here. Everyone likes their favorites just so and are not usually open to new interpretations. I’m still going to try the corn and see how they react. I have some of those salt cellars from PB and I love them. I only bought four and I wish I had sprung for another four. They are so darling! I love it when your mind wonders. My husband is NOT a dancer. At weddings and parties where dancing is available, he’ll humor me with one or two slow dances, where all he has to do is shuffle his feet, and while he’s doing it, I could swear that his mind is working on some sort of mathematical problem to pass the time until the music stops. I hope you can get Mr. Fun to do it!

Hi Linda, Your chili is much like mine. Mine is ground beef, onions, tomato soup, pureed canned tomatoes, dark red kidney beans, and chili powder. I like to top it with sour cream, fritos, and grated cheese but often we eat it with just crackers. I enjoyed your post and I’m your newest follower-I stopped over from the Grow your blog party.xo Beth

a new follower – i’m happy to have found you thanks to the blog party. funny thing is – i wondering why the dog is not snatching up a corn muffin or a bit of chili…. ha. ha!! that looks so delicious. i’ll be over soon. ha. ha!! do stop by my blog & have a wonderful weekend. take care. ( :

Hi Linda, Your table is wonderful and I love the cute sled and the pretty napkins. The chili and corn muffins look yummy. I am going to have to try sour cream on my chili. Love your giveaway plates!xx, Sherry

Oh, I love homemade chili, that looks so inviting! I use ground turkey instead of beef in mine and my family loves it, as long as I don’t forget the cornbread! I’m driving home to Indiana tomorrow, expecting to be wind chills 20 below, wish there was chili waiting for us there!

I just love your idea of chili! We are a chili loving family and this is our Texas chili! The way we eat chili is to buy Wolf brand chili in a can and then heat it in a bowl in the microwave, then you add Fritos and top with grated cheese(some have Mexican flavors). You may think of it as chili pie but to us it is our favorite way with chili and it has to be Wolf brand made in Texas or it’s just not chili! I think everyone has their own family favorites. It is so easy when I’m tired and we’re hungry. Thanks for sharing your story on sledding for it sounds like great fun and I love your fox mugs and the darling sled.

It looks like it would be fun to sit by your fire and eat some chili. My chili is more of a baked beans recipe but I just love it. Your foxes look like they are having fun too. Looking forward to reading your blog.